In 2023 the Nurse+ project was able to extend its reach in Shyogwe, Rwanda with the employment of two extra nurses, Francoise and Sophie, who are now working alongside Brigitte at Gikomero Clinic. CHI, through your donations, also still support Prossy and Grace at the Kimwanyi Clinic in Uganda. Thank you for your continued support.
Brigitte, Francoise and Sophie - Gikomero, Rwanda
Brigitte has been working at Gikomero Clinic for over 10 years now. She has looked after 1645 patients in the past 6 months, dealing with child and adult general consultations, which include coughs and difficulty breathing, skin problems, bone and joint diseases, physical trauma, maternity care, dental problems and malaria treatment and advice for avoidance of treatable diseases. Brigitte has also set up craft skills training classes for empowering women in the community.
Brigitte thanks CHI for the support and additional equipment supplied to the clinic and asks we pray for her as she continues her studies to gaining her Bachelors degree in nursing with honours.
Francoise joined Gikomero Clinic in Shyogwe with Sophie and thanks (the supporters of) Christian Hope for helping her to have a job at the clinic, thereby enabling her to look after herself and her family. In the past 6 months she has attended to 2681 patients, looking after patients with non-contagious diseases, ante natal care, vaccination programmes for the under 5’s, family planning advice, general consultations, maternity care, wound dressing, and hepatitis patients. Her prayer request is ‘Pray for the protection of my family, as I work far from my living house and to grow spiritually in order to rise my faith to God’. Thank you Francoise for your care in this community.
Sophie has been with Gikomero clinic for just over a year now and has enjoyed the support of Christian Hope, both for her patients who benefit from equipment and medicines provided, and for herself as she is now able to support herself and her family. She says ‘Working with the rural community increased my faith spiritually that with God the patients will be healing without any problem because I did not meet any case of death, I really thank God for the patients who got well, and also for protecting me in my work, and my family.’ In the last 6 months of 2023 Sophie attended to 2,989 patients, dealing with family planning, ante natal care, general consultations, sex education for the youth, and simple surgical procedures. She certainly has been busy!
Grace and Prossy - Kimwanyi Clinic, Uganda
CHI were able to visit Kimwanyi Clinic in February and see how the funds sent to them have benefited the local community. Nurse Prossy told us about the new vaccination guidelines where babies are given the Hep B vaccine at birth, and yellow fever at 9 months, along with other childhood vaccines. HIV monitoring is also a priority with pregnant ladies being tested at 12 and 28 weeks, during labour, and babies at birth, 6 weeks after birth and every 3 months until breastfeeding ceases. We always smile when a baby tests negative at the end of this program, even if the mother is positive. This is part of the new ‘Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission’ program. A new HIV drug has been introduced; it is taken 3 times a week instead of daily and also prevents the contraction of TB. We counsel new mothers continually to keep to the regime for the health of their baby.
The top quote from the visit was from Ramadan the lab technician who said the patients are told "We treat you, but God heals you”
Unfortunately Grace was not present at the clinic that day as sadly she had suffered from a miscarriage in December whilst at work and was subsequently on sick leave, due to return in March. In her report she says “I have seen the hand of the Lord through us healing many people. God in action shows He is the healer as well as the provider and controller of life. We believe the Gospel is now preached so well through our actions.
We visit villages, giving vaccines, mosquito nets, maternity care and advice regarding family planning, nutrition and the importance of modern medicines. This outreach has greatly helped the drop in malaria and other infection cases.
Grace also reports the biggest challenge for the clinic is lack of an ‘ambulance’ to transport patients from the remote villages to the clinic and for emergencies from the clinic to the hospital, this is particularly relevant to mothers experiencing difficult labour. Another challenge is a lack of infrastructure whereby there are seasons when patients increase in number and space for them runs out.
Please be praying for our hardworking nurses. If you would like to support them financially, you can do so here: